LUA RIVERA
TEXTILE ART
BIO
Lua Rivera makes art to erase the boundaries between disciplines, promoting a free interaction and allowing the exhibition to transcend the walls of the gallery. Lua based her artwork on processes such as nesting, growth and adaptation of organisms. As a visual artist she is distinguished from her continuous search and use of multidisciplinary resources such as intervention, photography and textiles.
Legend of the sea, 2022.
Metal and fabric Pingtung County, Taiwan. 13m(L) X 7m(W) X 13m(H) Pingtung Luo Shan Feng Arts Festival
Sea travel dates back over 7000 bce. The earliest evidence of sea travel is claimed by modern day nations like Australia, China and countries of the near East among them. It was the creation of sailing boats like the Austronesian (Balatik), the Polynesian double-hulled canoes, the Phoenician ships and the Viking ships that allowed the brave and curious to explore the deep oceans and discover new lands. The sailors travelled around the world exploring, trading and exchanging stories of their discoveries that later became legends. This trade between nations often required maritime travel in unpredictable weather, which resulted in shipwrecks and sinkings. Some of these accidents were attributed to sea monsters and unknown mythical creatures. One of the most outstanding legends is about a giant creature with tentacles present in Norwegian folklore, Ainu folklore, Asian and Native American mythology and traditions of ancient Hawaii. This creature is known by many names, like: Hafgufa, Akkorokamui, Cecaelia, Kanaloa or Kraken.
On this occasion, I want to represent this mythical creature and bring it back to his physical realm. I want the people who encounter this installation to remember these stories that have been present from our childhood dreams to the present day. These stories have traveled with sailors of our ancestors and will continue travelling through the wind with our voices as we continue the oral tradition of storytelling.
All the fabrics are repurposed and donated by Yee Chain International Co.
Floating gems, 2021
Metal and fabric Kinmen Island, Taiwan. 11m(L) X 6m(W) X 3.5m(H)
Floating gems are an outdoor light installation made with woven fabric and metal. The inspiration for this piece was the study of crystal formations.
As these crystals grow to reach the ground level, they seem to levitate on the air above the grass while irradiating light through their structures, fragmenting the surroundings.
There are five requirements for crystals to form: mineral ingredients, temperature, pressure from the tectonic plates, time, and space.
This work is a metaphor of what happened in Kinmen. This island suffered many changes during the human timeline. The politics and social pressure at the border of Taiwan and China is strong. The collision of these two countries is boiling and cooling down depending on the year. It transforms the perspectives of the people who live here, the people who visit and immigrants who arrive here, risking their lives by swimming to cross the border looking for a new life on Taiwanese soil.
All the fabrics are repurposed and donated by Yee Chain International Co.
Flowing waters, 2022
Metal and fabric. Taoyuan City, Taiwan. 14m(L) X 32m(W) X 4m(H)
Flowing Waters is a piece of textile work inspired by the Nankan River. The watercourse separates people from the river and restricts people’s access to the waters. Many rivers were angular and linear in the past, but now they lose the curves and the water areas become flat. They have been conquered and tamed by human beings. The artist hopes that people will remember the original flowing shapes of waters through watching this work and keep in mind that waters in the purest shape are constantly changing to adapt to the environment and even grind the stones into sand. Human beings are nothing but the sands carried by the flowing waters. We’re unable to stop the waters. Is it the waters and rivers shape our roads and cities or the other way around? Audiences are invited to sit or lie on the work to feel it.
All the fabrics are repurposed and donated by Yee Chain International Co.
